Sunday Worship from the United Reformed Church
for Remembrance Sunday 13 November 2022

This service begins with a Remembrance introduction, two-minute silence and prayer. You may wish to start the podcast close to 11am or skip back to this section during your morning worship. 

Rite of Remembrance
 
We meet in the presence of God. We commit ourselves to work in penitence and faith for reconciliation between the nations,  that all people may, together,  live in freedom, justice and peace.  We pray for all who in bereavement, disability and pain continue to suffer the consequences of fighting and terror.  We remember with thanksgiving and sorrow those whose lives, in world wars and conflicts past and present, have been given and taken away.
 
The Silence

Ever-living God we remember those whom you have gathered from the storm of war into the peace of your presence; may that same peace calm our fears, bring justice to all peoples and establish harmony among the nations, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.
 
Hymn    Be still, my soul:  the Lord is on thy side
Katharina Amalia Dorothea von Schlegel (b.1697) translated Jane Laurie Borthwick (1813-1897) Sung by the group Eclipse 6
 

Be still, my soul:  
the Lord is on thy side;
with patience bear 
thy cross of grief or pain;
leave to thy God 
to order and provide;
in every change 
He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul:  
thy best, thy heavenly Friend
through thorny ways 
leads to a joyful end.

 

Be still, my soul:  
thy God doth undertake
to guide the future 
as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence 
let nothing shake,
all now mysterious 
shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul:  
the waves and winds still know
His voice, who ruled them 
while he dwelt below.

 

Be still, my soul:  the hour is hastening on
when we shall be for ever with the Lord,
when disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
sorrow forgotten, love’s pure joy restored.
Be still, my soul:  when change and tears are past,
all safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

 
Welcome and Introduction
 
Hello and welcome to worship.  Today we, with people all over these islands, observe Remembrance Sunday when we remember all those who’ve lost their lives in war, terror and conflict.  We pray that a better world will result where, in the words of our reading from Isaiah, a new heaven and new earth are created where we no longer engage in war to resolve our issues.  My name is Andy Braunston and I am the United Reformed Church’s Minister for Digital Worship.  I’m leading this service from the Peedie Kirk URC in Kirkwall in Orkney where we’re members. Let’s worship God together:

Call to Worship
 
One:              Come with joy and delight to worship the Eternal One.
 
Many:    We come to worship God.
 
One:              Come in peace to reconcile with enemies and pray for justice.
 
Many:    We come to worship God
 
One:              Come and find life in its fullness, plenty and abundance 
in the Kingdom of God.
 
Many:    We come to worship God.
 
Prayers of Approach, Confession and Forgiveness
 
Eternal One we come to sing a new song before You;
we tell of Your wonders which You have wrought amongst us.
We seek, O Most Holy, to make a joyful noise in Your presence,
and with the earth to sing to you, our Creator.
With the streams we clap our hands in praise,
with the hills we skip for joy before You.
Our hearts rejoice as we bring You our praises, O God.
 
Yet in our praises we know 
that we’ve failed to live as You command.
Yet in our joy 
we feel shame as we know we’ve chosen hate not love.
Yet in our singing 
we know that our world chooses war not peace.
We know that as we worship,
You search our hearts,
that as we pray 
You come to judge Your people,
to chastise and redeem,
forgive and reform.  
 
So give us grace Eternal One to accept the forgiveness You offer.
Give us time, God of grace, to change our ways.
Give us hope, O Most High, that we can learn from Your judgements.
Amen
 
Prayer for Illumination
 
Break open your Word to us, Eternal God,
that we may hear, understand, reflect and obey,
that our world may be transformed 
into your coming Kingdom.
Amen.
 
Readings
 
Isaiah 65:17-25
 
For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight. I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people; no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the cry of distress. No more shall there be in it an infant that lives but a few days, or an old person who does not live out a lifetime; for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth, and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labour in vain, or bear children for calamity; for they shall be offspring blessed by the LORD– and their descendants as well. Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox; but the serpent–its food shall be dust! They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the LORD.
 
Hymn    Psalm 98
Louis Bourgeois (1551) reworked by Dewey Westra  © 1976 Faith Alive Christian Resources sung by the congregation of Trinity Christian Reformed Church, Ontario
 

Sing, sing a new song to Jehovah
for all the wonders He has wrought;
His right hand & His arm most holy
the victory to Him have brought.
The Lord has published 
His salvation,
His righteousness 
He has made known;
He showed to every heathen nation
that judgment issues 
from His throne.
 
He has remembered 
all His mercy,
His truth declared to Israel;
the ends of earth 
have seen His glory;
His ways in majesty excel.
Then make a joyful 
noise before Him,
O all ye earth, His praises sing;
With loud acclaim let all adore Him
and let the joyful anthems ring.

 

Join to the harp 
your glad rejoicing,
a Psalm of adoration bring,
with trumpet and the cornet voicing
a joyful noise to God, the King.
Let oceans roar 
with all their fullness,
the world & they that dwell therein;
proclaim Jehovah’s 
power with boldness,
exalt Him ever and again.
 
Let all the streams 
in joyous union
now clap their hands 
and praise accord,
the hills rejoice in glad communion,
and skip for joy before the Lord.
He comes, He comes 
to judge the people,
arrayed in truth and equity;
the world shall He redeem from evil
& righteous shall His judgment be.

St Luke 21:5-19
 
When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.” They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” And he said, “Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is near!’ Do not go after them. “When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.” Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven. “But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare your defence in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls.
 
Sermon
 
Over the last year we’ve seen the results of war in Europe; war which is far too close, far too painful and far too frightening for us to deal with.  Of course there has been wars all through our lives but we’ve felt more distant from them even though images have been beamed into our homes through TV.  The invasion of Ukraine stunned us though – the sheer bare faced affrontery of it stunned us as did the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian forces which foiled Putin’s original plan to swiftly change government and finish off President Zelenski.  We have seen horrific images on our TVs and devices coming from Mariupol and we know that lawyers are spending a lot of time investigation alleged war crimes.  Fake referendums to try and justify annexing Ukrainian territory were coupled with threats to use nuclear weapons which make us, this Remembrance Day, more aware of the dangerousness of war than ever before.  We realise, perhaps for the first time, that we live in dangerous times.
 
The writer of our reading from Isaiah also lived in dangerous times.  Scholars consider Isaiah to be divided into three parts; the first 39 chapters relating to the teachings of a prophet who worked in the 8^thCentury before Christ, the second part, chapters 40 – 55, an anonymous prophet in the early 6^th Century before Christ when the Jews were in Exile in Babylon and the last 10 chapters written when the Jews had returned to Israel in the later parts of the same century.  Whilst there are themes which unite the different parts of the book the section we heard today comes from the end of the book where the bold joyful visions about the return from Exile have been replaced with some hard realities of life.  These last ten chapters are quite pessimistic as the author deals with wickedness, bloodshed, injustice, worshipping other gods alongside God, oppression of people, profaning the Sabbath and useless leaders who are blind to social realities, greedy or drunk.  In the midst of all this the author longs for God’s mercy.  In the midst of all the problems of the aftermath of war and exile the prophet has a vision of what God will do next.  In the midst of all the despondency, there is hope.  God, the prophet holds, will create a new heaven and a new earth where the people will be joyful, where there will be no more tears or distress, where babies don’t die and where the old live to ripe old ages.  Lest you think this is all pie in the sky the writer is very clear about specific physical things – houses will be built, vineyards planted and the grapes will be eaten – it takes years to get vineyards to produce useful crops – and, at the end of the prophecy we have this striking image of the wolf and lion feeding together, the lion turns vegetarian and the serpents will no longer bite.  Instead of war, destruction and pain we will be offered a new creation where we live as God intends.  
 
In our Gospel reading Jesus seems to frighten us.  In the ancient world the Jewish Temple built by Herod the Great was a wonder of the age.  We remember Herod as a butcher but the ancient world knew him as a builder.  He enlarged the Temple in a project which started 19 years before Jesus’ birth and doubled its size.  The work continued through Jesus’ lifetime by Herod’s successors.  The main work was done in the first few years but the later work added outer courts and decorations with precious stone.  It was the marvel of the age and people would go to Jerusalem to see it – there as even a court for gentiles where non Jewish people could offer prayers.  It was finally finished in the year 64 yet in the year 70 the Romans tore it down and left it in ruins.  It was never rebuilt.  The plundered furnishings were taken to Rome and large paintings of its destruction were shown in Rome to induce awe.  When the Temple was destroyed Christians remembered the words we heard today from Jesus as prophecy.  
 
In the time leading up to the destruction of the Temple, and the end of the Jewish state, false prophets emerged offering false hope.  It’s not surprising as in desperate times people will believe many strange things.  At least 15 people claimed to be the long promised Messiah – most promising to lead a revolt against the despised Romans.  Again early Christians remembered Jesus’ words about false prophets after the destruction of the Temple and saw his words as being confirmed by the events of the time.  
 
After warning of false leadership Jesus said there would be wars and rumours of wars.  In Luke’s version these events were the things that would happen before the Temple was destroyed; in the year 69 the Roman empire was convulsed by civil war, insurrection, and chaos.  After two revolts against him, the Emperor Nero took his own life in the year 68 having been declared a public enemy by the Senate who made a man called Galba the new Emperor.  However, Galba could not assert his rule.  He was elderly and had no children.  Otho, who thought he should be heir was snubbed and so murdered Galba seizing the throne in January 69.  Otho was popular but took his own life when another claimant, Vitellius, won a major battle and headed towards Rome.  However Vitellius had little support outside his own troops, and Vespasian – the commander of Syria – rebelled.  Vitellius also killed himself leaving Vespasian Emperor.  When Jesus mentioned wars and rumours of wars maybe he had this chaotic year where the government changed four times amidst turmoil and bloodshed especially as the Jews seized their chance in the chaos to rebel against Rome and asserted their independence.  Of course this ended badly for the Jewish people and the state of Israel and it’s wonderful Temple was destroyed.
 
Christians have often looked at this passage and understood it as Jesus commenting on what the end of the world would look like  – forgetting the history of the Jewish revolt against Rome and the destruction of the Temple which is central to our Gospel passage today.  And of course by the year 70 the church had spread and was undergoing persecution.  All Roman citizens had to be part of the Roman religious cult and offer prayers to various gods – sometimes even to emperors.  The only exception to this religious rule were the Jewish people who were licenced not to follow the Roman cult.  Christians could fly under the radar in the early days as simply being another type of Jew but that didn’t work as more and more gentiles joined the Church.  Christians were seen as subversive who would bring the wrath of the gods on Rome and so were persecuted.  Jesus does present persecution as part of what leads up to the destruction of the Temple but as a consequence of the turmoil that would engulf the Roman world.  
 

• Of course the passage has power as we are all aware of wars and rumours of war.  
• Of course the passage has power because we’re all aware of how Christians, and many others, are still persecuted our world today.
• Of course the passage has power as we’re all aware of the destruction wreaked by war when temples and towers are still torn down by ruthless brutality.  

 
With Isaiah we long for a world made new but, with Jesus, we’re conscious of the world as it is.   These twin themes of hope and reality come into play more than ever at Remembrance when we hope for a world where we no longer resort to war and violence to settle our differences but where we understand the realities that besiege us.  We long for the Russian wolf to lie down with the Ukrainian lamb but that doesn’t look like it’s going to happen just yet.  We long for Taiwan to be secure and Tibet to be free but the current policies of the Chinese government don’t look like this will soon be a reality.  We long for women to be able to dress how they wish in Iran and Saudi Arabia but the patriarchal powers of the day don’t look like they will change.  We long for peace but have a lump in our throat every year when we remember those who have died in war, conflict and terror.  We look at the poppies, evocative symbols of blood and peace, and wonder how many more names will be added to our memorials.  
 
Yet our readings offer hope.  Isaiah does offer a remade world where we live as God intended and Jesus’ words are true.  Jesus tells us that in days of persecution and trouble we will be given the words we need to speak, even when we need to speak to power.  Jesus and Isaiah’s words of peace and hope, spoken millennia ago still speak to us:
 

• whilst the Temple that Herod built is no more, 
• whilst Herod himself is remembered only really as a butcher, 
• and whilst the proud empire which destroyed the Temple lies in ruins.  

 
Jesus’ and Isaiah’s words of hope and peace still stand despite warfare, famine, plague and earthquake.  Will you pray with me?
 
God of all peoples
you call us to create our world afresh with you,
you call us to turn away from war and violence and terror,
and to enrich human life.
God of all hope,
you give us the words and wisdom we need
even when all seems bleak,
inspire us to speak your truth
love your people
and change our world.  Amen.  
 
Hymn    I Have A Dream A Man Once Said
© The Rev’d Pamela Pettitt sung by Sharon Jackson at Walsall Central Hall 
used with their kind permission
 

‘I have a dream’, a man once said,
‘where all is perfect peace;
where men and women, 
black and white,
stand hand in hand, 
and all unite
in freedom and in love.’
 
But in this world of bitter strife
the dream can often fade;
reality seems dark as night,
we catch but 
glimpses of the light
Christ sheds 
on humankind.
 
Fierce persecution, war, and hate
are raging everywhere;
God calls us now 
to pay the price
through struggles 
and through sacrifice
of standing for the right.

 

So dream the dreams 
and sing the songs,
but never be content;
for thoughts and words 
don’t ease the pain:
unless there’s action, all is vain;
faith proves itself in deeds.

 

Lord, give us vision, make us strong, help us to do your will;
don’t let us rest until we see your love throughout humanity
uniting us in peace.

 
Affirmation of Faith
 
We believe that God is present in the darkness before dawn;
in the waiting and uncertainty where fear and courage join hands,
conflict and caring link arms, and the sun rises over barbed wire.
 
We believe in a with-us God who shares our humanity.
We affirm a faith that takes us beyond the safe place:
into action, vulnerability, and onto the streets.
 
We commit ourselves to work for change and put ourselves on the line;
to bear responsibility, take risks, live powerfully and face humiliation;
to stand with those on the edge;
to choose life and be used by the Holy Spirit
for God’s new community of hope. Amen.
 
Intercessions
 
Let us pray for all who suffer as a result of  conflict, and ask that God may give us  peace: 
 
for the service men and women who have  died in the violence of war, each one  remembered by and known to God;  may God give peace.
 
for those who love them in death as in life,  offering the distress of our grief and the  sadness of our loss; may God give peace 
 
for all members of the armed forces who  are in danger this day, remembering  family, friends and all who pray for their safe return; may God give peace.
 
for civilian women, children and men  whose lives are disfigured by war or terror,  calling to mind in penitence the anger and  hatreds of humanity;  may God give peace. 
 
for peace-makers and peace-keepers, who  seek to keep this world secure and free; may God give peace.  
 
for all who bear the burden and privilege of leadership, political, military and  religious; asking for gifts of wisdom and  resolve in the search for reconciliation and peace.  May God give peace 
 
O God of truth and justice, 
we hold before you those whose memory we cherish, 
and those whose names we will never know. 
Help us to lift our eyes above the torment of this broken world, 
and grant us the grace to pray for those who wish us harm. 
As we honour the past, may we put our faith in your future; 
for you are the source of life and hope, now and for ever.  Amen.
 
Offertory
 
How we use our money expresses a lot about our deepest values.  Our nations are now engaged in a political debate about the best way to use money  – do we give tax breaks to encourage the rich to invest more so their wealth trickles down to the poorest, or do we redistribute wealth so that the poorest have dignity.  These are stark political choices and, over the last 40 years or so, both major parties have opted for a middle way between these choices; now we have to participate in a social experiment to see if wealth will beget wealth.  On a personal level we too make choices about our money – the things we spend it on, the causes we support, the realisation that our money, like our other resources, is given to us in trust to use wisely.  We may support charities at home or abroad, we may seek to use our money to make the world a better place but now, at this point in the service, we give thanks for the offerings made to the Church – offerings made direct to the bank, here in the collection, offerings of time and talent and treasure; offered to change our world, show a different economic reality and to reflect the values of the kingdom.  
 
Eternal One
long ago you called us to be heralds of your coming kingdom,
to show by our lives and our loves,
our talents and our treasure,
your values of love and justice,
where all are valued,
where none are deprived
and where those who are first are made to wait.
Bless these gifts of money
that we may use them wisely and widely, 
that your kingdom may come.
Amen.
 
Hymn    I Come With Joy, A Child of God
The Rev’d Brian Wren   © 1971, 1995 Hope Publishing Company 
sung by the congregation of Park Central Presbyterian Church, Syracuse
 

I come with joy, 
to meet my Lord,
forgiven, loved and free,
in awe and wonder 
to recall,
His life laid down for me.
 
I come with Christians 
far and near
to find, as all are fed,
the new community of love
in Christ’s communion bread.
 
As Christ breaks bread, 
and bids us share,
each proud division ends.
The love that made us, 
makes us one,
and strangers now are friends.
 
And thus with joy 
we meet Our Lord,
His presence, always near,
is in such friendship better known:
We see and praise Him here.

Together met, together bound we’ll go our different ways,
and as His people in the world, we’ll live and speak His praise.

 
Holy Communion
 
The Lord be with you!                And also with you!
Lift up your hearts!                     We lift them up to the Lord!
 
Let us give God our thanks and praise!
It is right to give God our thanks and praise!
 
Loving, all-powerful and ever-living God,
we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks and praise.
You never cease to call us to a new and more abundant life.
 
God of love and mercy, 
you are always ready to forgive;
we are sinners, and you invite us to trust in your mercy.
Time and time again, we broke your covenant, 
but you did not abandon us.
Instead through your Son, Jesus our Lord, 
you bound yourself even more closely to the human family
by a bond that can never be broken.
 
Now is the time for your people to turn back to you
and to be renewed in Christ your Son, 
a time of grace and reconciliation.  
You invite us to serve the human family by opening our hearts
to the fullness of your Holy Spirit.
 
In wonder and gratitude, 
we join our voices with the choirs of heaven
to proclaim the power of your love 
and to sing of our salvation in Christ:
 
The Ash Grove Sanctus
The Rev’d Michael Forster © 1995 Kevin Mayhew Ltd sung by Lucy Bunce
 
O holy, most holy, the God of creation,
forever exalted in pow’r and great might.
The earth and the heavens are full of your glory.
Hosanna, hosanna and praise in the height!
How blessed is He who is sent to redeem us,
who puts ev’ry fear and injustice to flight;’
who comes in the name of the Lord as our Saviour.
Hosanna, hosanna and praise in the height!
 
Loving God, from the beginning of time,
you have always done what is good for humanity
so that we may be holy as you are holy.
Look with kindness on your people gathered here before you;
send forth the power of your Spirit 
so that these gifts may become for us the body and blood 
of your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, 
in whom we have become your daughters and sons. 
When we were lost and could not find the way to you,
you loved us more than ever: Jesus your Son, innocent and without sin,
gave himself into our hands and was nailed to a cross.
Yet before he stretched out his arms between heaven and earth
in the everlasting sign of your covenant,
He desired to celebrate the Passover feast 
in the company of his disciples.
 
We remember the night when Jesus, in the same night that he was betrayed, took bread, and gave you thanks; he broke it and gave it to the disciples, saying:  
 
“take, eat, this is my body which is given for you; 
do this in remembrance of me.”
 
In the same way, after Supper, he took the cup  and gave you thanks; he gave it to them, saying: 
 
“Drink this, all of you, this is my blood of the new covenant, 
which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. 
Do this, as often as you drink it in remembrance of me.”
 
Let us proclaim the mystery of our faith…..
 
Christ has died!  Christ is Risen!  Christ will come again!
 
We do this in memory of Jesus Christ, our Passover and lasting peace.
We celebrate his death and resurrection 
and look for the coming of that day when he will return 
to give us the fullness of joy.  
Therefore we celebrate, Loving God, ever faithful and true,
the sacrifice which restores humanity to your friendship.
 
Loving God, look with love on those you have called 
to share in the one sacrifice of Christ.  
By the power of the Holy Spirit make us one body 
healed of all division.  
Keep us all in communion of mind and heart, 
with all the people your son has gained for you. 
Help us to work together for the coming of your New Realm,
Until at last we come into your presence to share the life of the saints.
Then, freed from every shadow of death, we shall take our place in the new creation, and give you thanks, with Christ, our Risen Lord. 
 
To prepare ourselves to meet the Lord in Holy Communion let us sing the Lamb of God.
 
The Lamb of God
Nick Fawcett © 2008 Kevin Mayhew Ltd, sung by Lucy Bunce
 

Lamb of God, you bear our sin,
Lord have mercy.
Lamb of God, you bear our sin,
Lord, forgive us all.
 
Lamb of God, you bear our sin,
Lord have mercy.
the world’s sin you take away,
Lord, forgive us all.

 

 Lamb of God, you bear our sin, grant us peace, Lord,
Lamb of God, you bear our sin, grant us peace, O Lord.

 
Post Communion Prayer
 
God of peace,
whose Son Jesus Christ proclaimed the kingdom
and restored the broken to wholeness of life:
look with compassion on the anguish of the world,
and by your healing power
make whole both people and nations;
through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
 
Hymn   For the Healing of the Nations
The Rev’d Fred Kaan (1965) sung by the virtual Choir of the First Avenue Presbyterian Church of New York City with Ryan Jackson playing the organ and used with their kind permission.
 

For the healing of the nations,
God, we pray with one accord,
for a just and equal sharing
of the things that earth affords.
To a life of love in action
help us rise and pledge our word.
 
Lead us forward into freedom;
from despair your world release,
that, redeemed 
from war and hatred,
all may come and go in peace.
Show us how 
through care and goodness
fear will die and hope increase.
 
All that kills abundant living,
let it from the earth be banned:
pride of status, race, or schooling,
dogmas that obscure your plan.
In our common quest for justice
may we hallow life’s brief span.

 

You, Creator God, 
have written
your great name on humankind.
For our growing in your likeness,
bring the life of Christ to mind
that by our 
response and service
earth its destiny may find.